Naming Nations, Hiding Leaders: The Propaganda of Country-as-Person Framing
Rahmatulloh Ismoilov
ABSTRACT
Media discourse frequently attributes political actions to entire nations using phrases such as “Russia invaded Ukraine” or “Uzbekistan signed an agreement.” This linguistic shortcut, known as metonymy, simplifies reporting but also functions as a subtle form of propaganda. By collapsing the distinction between leaders, governments, institutions, and citizens, it obscures responsibility, legitimizes authority, and blurs internal dissent. This paper develops a three-layer framing model—Country-as- Person, Leader-as-Actor, and Leader’s Order + Institutions—to show how different levels of attribution shape perceptions of agency and accountability. Through examples and theoretical discussion, it argues that naming leaders and institutions more precisely resists propaganda and strengthens democratic understanding.
